Fishing at North Vance Lake, Hastings County, Ontario

• Overview

  North Vance Lake is one of the Hastings County waters in Ontario. The ground around here is rolling bush. Surface area is around 30 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. About 3.2 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. For a base, Bancroft sits 11 km out. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on North Vance Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Hastings County include rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At North Vance Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -11°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on North Vance Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Baptiste Lake sits 1.9 km off and takes the overflow. Confirm access to North Vance Lake locally before you travel.